Kohima: Nagaland Chief Minister Neiphiu Rio claimed that his government was committed to resuming oil exploration and extraction in the state.

Rio stated the state had significant oil reserves, which were first discovered by ONGC in 1973 in Changpang, Wokha district.

Production was halted in 1994 due to royalty disputes and overproduction, but the state government has been working to restart operations.

In 2012, the Nagaland Petroleum and Natural Gas Regulations and Rules were notified, and permits were issued to Metropolitan Oil and Gas Pvt. Ltd for exploration in the Wokha district.

However, legal challenges stalled progress, and the state government has been in discussions with the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas (MoPNG) since 2018 to resolve the deadlock.

A key meeting was held in Dimapur in 2021, focusing on permitting oil and gas exploration under the Open Acreage Licensing Policy (OALP) and allowing ONGC to resume operations.

The next step involves a Tripartite MoU between the Government of India, the Government of Nagaland, and the Government of Assam, along with a Bipartite MoU for Nagaland, the CM said.

The Centre has shared draft MoUs, and the state has provided its feedback.